The Only Remedy
by Neo Natsumi
Summary: "I want to see the world once more, but this time I want to see it through your eyes". Most on Mikan's POV. Rated T
1. Chapter 1

Summary: "I want to see the world once more, but this time I want to see it through your eyes". Most on Mikan's POV

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is not mine

 **Chapter 1**

 _"He's a lost cause."_

 _"He's been confined here for the last five years."_

 _"Avoid him at all costs; he can be hostile most of the time so it is best if you will just avoid him. He's the most aggressive person in this place"_

Those were the words that kept on repeating inside my head as I slowly opened the door that will show me another side of the world which I have never seen before. Today is my first day of internship in Alice Asylum- a small rundown mental institution at the outskirts of Tokyo. I am in my senior year in Tokyo University and taking up a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I never imagined that I will be taking up this course because first of all, my dream was to become a good pre-school teacher since I am really fond of little kids but everything has changed two years before I entered college thus the change of my course.

Two years before I applied for college, my usual happy family went haywire when my dad had a heart attack and died after reaching the hospital. The doctors tried their best to revive him but all efforts were futile and after more than 30 minutes of resuscitation, my father finally succumbs to death. My mom and I were there, crying helplessly and endlessly praying for a miracle to happen but it was no use. It was only then that we found out that my dad has a serious heart disease for a long time. We are unaware of it since he is showing no signs that he is ill. We were completely dumbfounded upon hearing what the doctors said. My dad loves us so much to the point that he hides his sickness from us so we will not be worried. After few days of mourning my dad's sudden death, our lives had its drastic change.

The usual happiness that I see on my mother's eyes starts to fade. It's as if life is taking happiness away from her. She began having mood swings, one minute she will laugh so hard and then after some time she will just cry and scream. My mother, Yuka who hates alcohol starts consuming cans of beer every day. There are times when I see her hugging the picture of my dad and she will mumble "Take me with you. I don't want to live anymore" and she will cry once more.

For months, I endured the pain of seeing my mother suffer so much and I cannot even do anything to help her. Of course, I tried to console her but it was no use. There are times when she will shout at me telling me to leave her alone and let her die so she can be with my dad. This pains me so much. It hurts to see my mother like that. I must do something about this.

One evening, I began to browse the internet looking for anyone who can help my mother. I searched for any social care group that is near our community and I joined an online forum for people who are having problems within their families. I wrote a post regarding our family's situation, hoping that someone will give us suggestions on what we need to do. I was about to lose hope as nobody is replying to my thread post in the last 2 days but I suddenly received a notification from the forum that somebody replied to my inquiry. I hurriedly opened the website and read the response of an anonymous person. It was short but it was all that I need at that moment.

 _"Your mother should see a psychologist."_

That's it.

I need to find a psychologist.

Soon enough, I finally met a psychologist- Dr. Hikari Hanazawa who is working in a distant hospital in Tokyo. I immediately set up an appointment with her and brought my mom. At first, my mother was reluctant to go out with me. But after promising her that we will visit my dad's grave after our scheduled appointment, she finally agreed.

Meeting Dr. Hikari might be the best thing that ever happened in my life ever since dad passed away. After being diagnosed with depression, Dr. Hikari started to conduct counseling with my mom and gave her activities that can help in diverting her attention from my dad's death. Dr. Hikari became our pillar of support and I cannot thank her enough. After few months of therapy, my mother improved a lot. She began seeing life in a positive way. Slowly, she is returning to what she was before. And that is when I realized that I want to pursue a career that will help other people who are just like my mother. I decided to pursue a degree in Psychology.

* * *

"On your first internship, you will be working in pairs and will stay at your designated facility for 2 weeks. To practice fairness in this internship and to avoid conflicts when choosing a facility, I will call your group and your representative will pick a paper from this fish bowl. Whatever the facility that you have picked, you will do your internship there whether you like it or not" Ms. Ayane, our clinical instructor stated.

"Hotaru, let's be partners for this internship!" I happily exclaimed as I grabbed Hotaru's arm. Hotaru Imai was my best friend since childhood and she knows what happened to my family. She was the first person I informed when I decided to take Psychology and to my surprise, she told me that she will be with me and pursue the same course even though she wants to be an engineer at first.

"Okay, okay. You will be the one to pick our facility. You better pick a good one" Hotaru replied nonchalantly.

"Alright. But don't get mad if I could not pick the facility you want. I know you've been eyeing to train at Sapphire Valley Mental Institution" I replied.

"Of course I love to train there. Sapphire Valley is the best institution in Tokyo" Hotaru shot back.

I was about to retort when our instructor called our names. We walked in front of the classroom and halted in front of the table. I closed my eyes and wished that I could pick a good facility, Sapphire Valley if lucky enough. I moved my hand towards the fishbowl and randomly picked a paper. I handed over the paper to Ms. Ayane and I silently prayed as she announced where we will stay for 2 weeks.

"For Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai, they will spend their internship at…" Ms. Ayana started.

I held my breath. I felt like I was in a competition of some sort, waiting for the announcement of the winner.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"…Alice Asylum"

* * *

 **End of Chapter 1**

 **Please Read and Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It is a known fact that Sapphire Valley Mental Institution is one of the best Mental Health Facility in Japan. But if they are one of the best, of course there are facilities that belong to the bottom rank and Alice Asylum tops that list. For decades, Alice Asylum became the home of patients that cannot be catered in a better facility. Other citizens often tag the asylum as "Hell's Prison" and it created a social stigma in the country. Medical students and other professionals in the medical field also fears to work in the asylum. The place almost looked like an abandoned building and is not very well maintained.

Patients who were admitted in the asylum are those considered to be a "hopeless case" or those who cannot recover anymore. There are patients who suffers severe mental breakdown that other institutions refuses to admit in their care. In short, Alice Asylum is the "dump site" of most facilities.

"You're such an idiot, Mikan." Hotaru said dryly as she whacked my head for the fifth time "Of all the facilities that you can pick, you chose the worst"

"I cannot help it, okay? Anyways, let's just do our best and finish this internship as smooth as possible." I replied with a smile even though deep inside, I feel like I was already doomed. I don't know what kind of patients we can see in that place. Oh gosh just thinking about it gives me the creeps.

Hotaru sighed "Be thankful that you are my best friend or else, I will look for another partner for this internship."

I hugged Hotaru and smiled. I know that even though we got the worst area for the internship, she will never ever leave me alone. "I love you so much, Hotaru"

* * *

"2 weeks? You are doing your internship at the Hell's Prison for 2 weeks?" My mother Yuka exclaimed in disbelief. "That is insane"

I rolled my eyes as I munch my cheese flavored Cheetos that I have been eating as soon as I arrived home "Mom, it's called Alice Asylum, not Hell's Prison and yeah, that is completely insane as I will definitely see insane patients there. Relax mom, I got this"

"But knowing that you will go to that haunted place, I cannot even relax anymore. What if there are patients who will harass you there? What if they hurt you? Goodness, Mikan can't you change your place of internship?"

"Mom you know that I cannot do that and besides, Hotaru will be with me. We can do it together so don't worry too much." I carelessly replied as I stood up, not wanting to prolong the argument anymore "I'm going back to my room and start packing. We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow"

I can only hear my mother's heavy breathing as I exited the living room.

As soon as I locked the door to my room, I heaved a very long sigh. My mom was right, this is such an insane thing to do and I don't even have a choice. This will be my first time to see that much berated rundown asylum and I have no idea what's in store for me there. I just hope that the patients that will be assigned to me is at least a little sane than the others.

I took out my luggage from the closet and started to pack my clothes. For security purpose, I also put my stun gun just in case there will be a patient who will put me into some trouble.

* * *

Two days passed. This is it, today is the day that Hotaru and I will begin our 2 week internship at Alice Asylum. I will be lying if I will say that I am not terrified. Yes, it's true I am more terrified than just being nervous. I could not exactly decipher the emotion that I am feeling right now.

The cab that I called half an hour ago finally arrived and I started to load my luggage inside the car's trunk. I stared at my mom and I can see that she is really worried about my welfare. Tears are starting to fall from her eyes and I automatically lunged myself to her and hugged her as tight as I can.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mom. Take care of yourself…If you feel lonely; don't hesitate to contact Dr. Hikari okay?"

"I will miss you so much my child. Please take good care of yourself okay? And don't let those people in there harm you. If they become aggressive towards you, run as fast as you can and seek help." My mom replied back.

"I will Mom and besides, I know taekwondo so I guess I will be more than fine. I'm going now. I'm gonna fetch Hotaru along the way."

I finally bade goodbye to my Mom and headed towards the bus stop where Hotaru is impatiently waiting for me. I know I'm a few minutes late and she doesn't really tolerate any form of tardiness so yeah, I better be ready for her speech.

"Good morning, Hotaru!" I greeted as I lowered down the glass window

"You are five minutes late" Hotaru spat. _Oh yeah she will definitely kill me._

"I'm sorry, it's just that it takes some time for me to say goodbye to my mom. You know her; she's a little bit emotional." I replied

Hotaru rolled her eyes. I know that when my mom is involved, she cannot really argue anymore.

"Where to?" the driver asked as soon as Hotaru settled on her seat.

"To Alice Asylum please" I replied.

I guess it was quite a shocker for the driver because who in their right mind would go to an almost deserted place like that in this bright and sunny morning?

"Am I hearing it correctly? You guys will go to Hell's Prison?" the driver asked back.

"Since you know the alias of that place, then you are hearing it right." Hotaru retorted in an annoying tone "Hurry up, we're gonna be late"

"Oh, alright then…" the driver then silently pressed the gas and started driving.

"Are you guys doing volunteer jobs?" the driver asked us again as we were traversing the highway. "It's very rare for people to go to that creepy place."

"We are psychology students and we will do our 2 week internship in that place" I politely replied. "It's our first time there so I will just hope that we can come back safe"

"That asylum is the most dangerous of all mental hospitals here." The driver said back. "According to those who visited there for charity works, there is a young man that is admitted there for years. He is the most hostile and aggressive patient they ever had."

I was a little curious about the driver's story "How aggressive is he?"

"He is a madman. He killed his family in the fire that he ignited when he was young. He literally put his own house on fire and none of his family members survived. Seriously, only a madman can do that. He's a murderer" the driver spat.

Chills went up to my spine upon hearing that. I gulped and looked at Hotaru who was surprisingly just stared at the driver with no hint of fear on her face.

"This is your fault" Hotaru said in a flat tone.

"We cannot back out now, Hotaru. I know we can manage this somehow" I replied.

We drove for almost 2 hours and finally the scenery outside is starting to change. From a bustling city with high towers and heavy traffic, it seems that we are finally on the outskirts of Tokyo- no buildings, no houses, not much cars are seen and just a long highway that will lead us to our destination. Seriously, this is giving me the creeps.

"We're here" the driver announced as he reached to a stop. It seems like we are in the middle of nowhere and there are no signs of other people in the area. It's like a secluded area dedicated only for the asylum.

We immediately went out of the taxi and took our luggage from the trunk. After paying the fare, we bid goodbye to the taxi driver who wished us good luck as we start this internship.

"This is it Hotaru. We're finally here" I mumbled in a soft tone.

"Yeah, this is your fault" Hotaru retorted as she scans the surroundings. "This place is not bad, maybe zombies will come out here when midnight comes"

"Don't scare me Hotaru I beg you" I replied. Hotaru really loves to tease me. She knows full well that I cannot stand ghosts or any other scary entities. And she really enjoys seeing me get scared. What a kind hearted best friend she is.

We dragged our luggage behind us as we slowly walk towards the entrance gate of the asylum. We were welcomed by a security guard who took our IDs for identification and guided us towards the administration office where our orientation will take place.

"Good morning" I greeted as soon as we entered the office "we are the Psychology students from Tokyo University and we are here for our 2 week internship. My name is Mikan Sakura and this is my partner, Hotaru Imai."

"Good morning girls" a woman in her late twenties greeted us back. She has a long blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes "I am Serina Yamada and I am the supervisor of Alice Asylum. I'm very happy that there are still some schools who want to conduct their internship here."

"Nice to meet you Ms. Serina" Hotaru said back with a small smile.

"Oh and this is Narumi Anjo. He is one of the ward in-charge here." Ms. Serina stated as she introduced a young man who looks feminine to me. Like Ms. Serina, Mr. Narumi also has blonde hair and looks so kind. I wonder how he became a ward in-charge because I imagined them to be stricter and does not smile a lot.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Narumi" Hotaru and I said in unison.

"The pleasure is mine, girls" Mr. Narumi replied with a smile. "Well now that the introductions are over, let's not waste our precious time and let's begin your orientation." He cleared his throat and waved his hands in the air.

"Welcome to Alice Asylum!"

* * *

 **End of Chapter 2**

 **Please read and review. Sorry for any grammatical errors.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The Asylum is divided into 4 different levels which we refer to as 'Star Ranking'- the single, double, triple and special. The higher the star ranking of the patient, the more aggressive they are. Those patients who are labeled as special stars are those who are difficult to handle and requires more manpower compared to other star ranks. The single star patients are those who can be easily managed with therapies and medications and are the most 'sane' in this asylum. And since your safety is our utmost priority, we will let you handle patients who rank from single to double only." Ms. Serina explained.

"I guess the madman belongs to the special star" I mumbled in a very soft tone that was almost inaudible but I didn't expect Ms. Serina to catch what I said.

"Madman? What madman?" Ms. Serina looked at me with confusion "what are you talking about Ms. Sakura?"

"We heard it from the taxi driver a while ago. He told us that there is a madman who is being admitted here for years. He was called a madman because he puts his house on fire and killed his own family. He is a murderer as the rumor says" Hotaru butts in the conversation.

"Are they referring to Natsume Hyuuga?" Mr. Narumi asked.

"Who is Natsume Hyuuga?" I asked back.

Ms. Serina sighed as she ushered us to listen to her intently "I have a good guess that the rumor is about Natsume. He's a lost cause. He's been confined here for the last five years after his family's death. It is better for the both of you to avoid him at all costs; he can be hostile most of the time so it is best if you will just avoid him. He's the most aggressive person in this place. And for the record, he is the only special star in the asylum."

Chills crept up to my spine upon hearing Ms. Serina's words. So the taxi driver was right, there is a madman in this asylum! I just hope we will not encounter that scary person. Who knows what he can do when he sees a stranger right? After all he is the only special star in this place. I couldn't even imagine how dangerous can he be.

The room became silent for some time until Mr. Narumi announced that he will accompany us while we tour the asylum's facilities. Even when we begin the ground tour, I feel very uneasy and a little more cautious with my surroundings. Maybe that Natsume guy is just behind us waiting for the right time to strangle our necks. Oh gosh what am I thinking?

"Listen carefully girls" Mr. Narumi started "You are free to roam around almost anywhere in this asylum except for one area and that is what we call the 'Dangerous Ability Zone'. That zone is where we are confining Natsume Hyuuga-kun and other triple star patients who is a potential candidate to become special stars. It is located in an isolated area at the back of the triple star building so please refrain from even stepping on that area. We just want you guys to do your internship as safe as possible."

I just gave a small smile and replied "So when we will officially start our internship Mr. Narumi?"

Mr. Narumi checked his wristwatch as he answered "You may start after lunch break. You can go to our conference room and prepare the things that you need. I'll give you an hour to prepare and after that, we will lead you to the single star building and you may begin your work"

After few more rounds in the vicinity, we finished the tour and went to the cafeteria to have our lunch. We met the other members of the multidisciplinary health care team in the asylum and the uneasy feeling that I had since we came is slowly fading away. Meeting other health care members boosts my confidence and I am now assured regarding our safety. I am now looking forward to meet the patients in the single star building.

* * *

"Welcome to the Single Star Zone" Anna greeted us with a smile. She is a Psychiatric Nurse who works here for a year now and was assigned to the Single Star patients together with Nonoko. We met them during our lunch break at the cafeteria. Anna Umenomiya has a long wavy pink hair while Nonoko's hair is a shade of dark blue but straight. "I hope you will enjoy your internship here in the Single Star Zone."

"Yeah, we hope so too" I said as I gave her a warm smile. I stared at the huge door in front of me that has a single star on the center. This is it. Behind this huge door is a side of the world that I've never seen before. I just hope that things will go smoothly as much as possible.

"Mikan, let's go" Hotaru stated as she pulls me inside. Anna and Nonoko followed suit.

"So tell me Mikan-chan and Hotaru-chan, what are your plans for your first day of internship? Do you have any activities planned for your patients?" Nonoko asked. "We need to know your schedules and care plans so we can coordinate with you"

"Since this is our first day, we decided to just observe the patients first. By the way, how many patients are here in the single star zone?" Hotaru asked.

"As per the recent census, there are 50 patients admitted in the single star zone. But you will not be assigned to all those 50 patients. Since this is just a 2 week internship, we will just assign you five patients each. We will observe your job and will give an evaluation at the end of your internship" Nonoko explained. "You know, most internships lasts for few months but since this asylum has a bad reputation in Japan, the maximum duration of internship was shortened to 2 weeks only that's why the activities that we do with the interns are very much limited hence we assigned you only 5 patients each"

"At the end of this hallway, there is a small holding area where you can prepare any materials that you will need when you meet your patients. As per Ms. Serina's instructions, your first week will be here in the single star zone and next week will be in the double star zone."

Upon reaching the holding area, I immediately opened my laptop and grabbed my notebook to write down the data that I need to gather as I begin interacting with the patients. Anna and Nonoko left us since they have other errands to do.

"So, what shall we do first?" I asked.

"Introductions of course, you dummy." Hotaru spat. "We need to establish rapport with our patients. Which room you will handle?"

"Room 1-A" I replied. The single star zone consists of multiple adjacent rooms. In each room there are 5 patients who are admitted. Anna and Nonoko assigned each of us a room that we will handle for the week.

"Mine is 1-B" Hotaru said back. "Let's gather our things and get this started"

I nodded as I bring my small notebook and pen with me. We exited the holding area and entered our designated patient rooms. As soon as my hands held the door knob, I heaved a very long sigh. " _This is it, there is no turning back"_ I thought and opened the door to room 1-A.

* * *

"Hello, I'm Mikan. What's your name?" I asked a young lady probably in her late teens who was sitting idly in the corner of the room.

"Akiko. I am Akiko" she introduced. Thank goodness, they all look normal and are showing no signs of violent behavior.

"Hi Akiko, it was a pleasure to meet you. I am going to be with you guys for a week so I hope we can be good acquaintances."

"Good to see you too." was her short reply.

"Can I ask you how long you've been admitted here?" I asked slowly and in a soft tone, careful enough not to provoke her.

"2 years."

"Can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I am an honor student since elementary but when I was dropped from the honor's list due to false accusations of cheating, I got depressed and it really took a toll on my body. I was brought to a nearby hospital but they refused me since I am not from a well-off family who can afford the hospital fees that's why they threw me in this place. I am on a continuous therapy and so far, my depression episodes were lessened. I hope one day, I can be freed from this place and return to my normal life."

I feel sorry for Akiko as she already experienced such hardships at such a young age. I gently patted her back and smiled "The time will come that you will eventually leave this place and return to your home. Just be positive and don't let any negative thoughts rule your mind. If you are having any trouble, don't hesitate to come to me and I will listen."

I continued to introduce myself to the four remaining patients in the room and I guess good luck is on my side as the remaining hours went so smooth with no troubles at all. I enjoyed interacting with my patients and hopefully this will continue for the whole week.

I glanced at the wall clock and was a bit surprised to see that it's already 7 o'clock in the evening. I bade goodbye to my patients especially to Akiko and promised to return the next day. I went back to the holding area only to see a calm Hotaru who was busy reading a book.

"So, how are your patients in Room 1-B?" I asked as I sat beside her. "You know what, my patients in Room 1-A are so nice. Each of them has a different story to tell and they are really good people who just had their tough times that's why they're here."

"Same with my patients" was Hotaru's short answer "They look pretty normal"

"Let's pack our things and go to the cafeteria. It's time to take our dinner. Oh dear, I am famished!" I exclaimed.

Hotaru rolled her eyes as she closed her book "Such a glutton"

"Yeah, yeah as if you are not hungry too. Let's go and eat!"

The dinner was simple yet the food was superb. I had three servings of rice and Hotaru just settled for a single serving saying that she's on a diet. Oh she's such a liar. She loves to eat just like me but maybe she's just not in the mood to eat too much. I guess she was just overwhelmed with our first day of internship. Once we were done eating, Hotaru announced that she will go back to her dorm room to prepare the activities for the next day. I told her that I will just do a little stroll before heading back, just to contemplate on different things and to breathe some fresh air.

"Don't go too far from the single star zone especially at this hour. Who knows maybe there is a lunatic out there waiting for a chance to strangle your neck" Hotaru warned.

I got a little frightened with what she said but that didn't stop me from strolling outside "I'll be fine Hotaru and besides there are security guards who are monitoring the area. You can go back to your room now. I won't take long."

* * *

As soon as I exited the cafeteria grounds, I fished out my phone and called my mom. I know she's really worried about me and I need to assure her that I am doing fine.

 _"Mikan?"_

"Hi mom, how are you? Have you eaten your dinner?" I inquired.

 _"Oh gosh Mikan I thought you will never call me again. I'm so worried about you and Hotaru. Is everything alright my dear? Are you hurt somewhere? Are there violent patients around you?"_

I laughed a little at my mom's interrogation "Mom, chill okay? We are doing very great here and besides the patients that were assigned to us are all kind and the most 'normal' in this place. So far so good so please don't worry too much. Everything is under control."

I heard my mother sigh and I snickered "I will call you again if I have time okay. I love you Mom. I'll see you in two weeks! Take good care of yourself"

 _"I love you too, Mikan. Take care okay and say hello to Hotaru for me"_

And we hang up.

I continued walking along the side of the single star building until a strong force pulled me from behind and the next thing I realized, I was leaning against the wall with two hands wrapped around my neck. Then I heard a low husky voice that spoke…

"Who the hell are you?"

* * *

 **End of Chapter 3!**

 **Please read and review!**


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